(BPRW) Students at historically black colleges and universities more likely to favor limits on press’ right to cover campus protests, express less trust in media, Gallup survey shows

(Black PR Wire) MIAMI—Sept. 22, 2016— Students who attend historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the United States are confident that First Amendment rights are secure, but are more likely than other college students to favor limits on First Amendment press freedoms during campus protests, a Gallup report has found.

The report, sponsored by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Newseum Institute, is a follow-up to an April survey of 3,072 U.S. college students (including HBCU students)on their views of First Amendment rights. The new report compares findings from the national sample with responses from 302 full-time students at HBCUs, as well as 357 black students at other colleges.

The report shows that while a large majority (75 percent) of HBCU students view freedom of the press as secure, 56 percent– double the percentage of national college students at 28 percent – believecollege students should be able to prevent reporters from covering campus protests. Correspondingly, HBCU students express less trust in the media than the national sample.

This study sought to better understand how U.S. college students interpret their First Amendment rights, and the role that their environments and backgrounds play in shaping their views. Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) hosted a student panel discussiontodayat 11 a.m. ET on “Free Speech on HBCU Campuses” to discuss the findings of the report. You can watch the video at: http://kng.ht/2cGdPyA.

“Amid intense debates around free speech on campus, these findings highlight a deeper story behind student perceptions of the First Amendment. They have the potential to help fuel a more informed debate around these important rights and open new avenues for further study,” said Sam Gill, Knight Foundation vice president for learning and impact.

Among the other key findings:

HBCU students and black students at non-HBCU colleges are generally confident in the security of First Amendment rights, but they are less likely than the national sample to believe these rights are secure

HBCU students are confident in the security of each of the five First Amendment rights, particularly freedom of the press (75 percent), freedom of religion (62 percent), and freedom of speech (60 percent).

Race significantly relates to perceptions concerning freedom to assemble. HBCU students (45 percent), as well as black students at non-HBCU colleges (40 percent)are much less likely than the national sample (66 percent) to believe the right of people to assemble peacefully is secure. In fact, more HBCU students describe freedom of assembly as threatened (54 percent) than as secure.

HBCU students differ from black students at non-HBCU colleges in the degree to which they view freedom to petition the government as secure: 56 percent of HBCU students versus 69 percent of black students at other colleges believe that right is secure.

HBCU students are similar to the national sample in that the majority support free speech and press rights, but HBCU students and black students at non-HBCU colleges are slightly more likely to entertain restrictions

The majority of students at HBCU schools say colleges should expose students to all types of speech and viewpoints (70 percent) than say colleges should prohibit biased or offensive speech (29 percent). However, they are slightly less likely than the national sample (78 percent) to favor an open environment that allows offensive speech.

Students at HBCU schools (56percent) are more likely to agree that their campuses are open environments for free speech. In contrast, a slight majority(54 percent) of the national sample say the climate on campus prevents some people from saying what they believe because others might find it offensive.

HBCU students tend to be more sympatheticto various reasons protestors may want to block coverage of an event. While students in the national sample are largely divided on curtailing press access, HBCU students tended to agree that the following reasons were legitimate to do so: The people at the protest or public gathering believe reporters will be biased (73 percent); the people at the protest or public gathering say they have a right to be left alone (73 percent); and the people at the protest or public gathering want to tell their own story on the internet and social media (62 percent).

HBCU students trust the press even less than the national sample; views mixed on social media

The large majority of HBCU college students, 73 percent responded that they have little or no trust in the media to report the news fairly and accurately, compared with 59 percent of the national sample.

HBCU students are however much more likely than the national sample of college students to view their student-run media as playing a very important role in creating a place for an open exchange of ideas on campus, 51 percent to 24 percent, respectively.

HBCU students (40 percent) and black students at non-HBCU colleges (27 percent) are less likely than the national sample (51 percent) to rely on traditional news sources to get an accurate depictionof what is happening in the world. At the same time, HBCU students still rely on traditional news sources (40 percent) more than social media (32 percent) and digital-only news sources (25 percent). In contrast, black students from non-HBCU colleges, trust digital-only news sources (37 percent) and social media posts (33 percent) more than traditional news media (27 percent).

“Freedom of the press, speech and assembly were traditionally seen as critical to minority groups who wanted to express their grievances. However, this study reveals that African-American students are more likely to favor restrictions on the press when covering campus protests than their white counterparts. African-American students are also more skeptical of the press’ ability to report in an unbiased manner. Students at HBCUs also believe that the right to assembly is threatened. We clearly need to understand how all Americans can enjoy their First Amendment rights so that we can, among other things, make progress on the issues that divide us,” said Jeff Herbst, president and CEO of the Newseum Institute.

Considered together, these surveys of college students provide a unique and complex view of First Amendment rights on campuses today, highlighting that environments and backgrounds play a part in shaping views on free speech. Importantly, the studies reinforce that perceptions of the First Amendment are changing in face of new information needs, an evolving media landscape, and important national debates on race and diversity.

HBCU Student’s Views on College Campuses is the second of a three-part, Knight-funded program, that will result in a “Guide to Free Speech on Campus” to be published later this year.The full report with methodology can be found at http://kng.ht/hbcuspeech.

This report is part of Knight Foundation’s efforts to promote press freedom and information access, and ensure that the rights guaranteed under the First Amendment are preserved. Knight Foundation has made many investments in this area, and recently supported the launch of the Knight First Amendment Institute
in collaboration with Columbia University.

About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. We believe that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged.

About the Newseum Institute
The Newseum Institute, headquartered at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., is dedicated to free expression and the five freedoms of the First Amendment: religion, speech, press, assembly and petition.
For more information, visit newseuminstitute.org.

About Gallup
Gallup delivers analytics and advice to help leaders and organizations solve their most pressing problems. Combining more than 80 years of experience with its global reach, Gallup knows more about the attitudes and behaviors of employees, customers, students and citizens than any other organization in the world.

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(BPRW) THE HOME DEPOT ANNOUNCES ITS ANNUAL RETOOL YOUR SCHOOL HBCU GRANT PROGRAM

WORLD’S LARGEST HOME IMPROVEMENT SPECIALTY RETAILER INCREASES GRANT PROGRAM TO $300,000 FOR HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES AS THEY COMPETE FOR CAMPUS AND FACILITY UPGRADES

(Black PR Wire) Atlanta, GA,— Today, The Home Depot reaffirms its commitment to HBCUs by announcing its 2016 Retool Your School Campus Improvement Grant Program. Now in its seventh year, the world’s largest home improvement specialty retailer utilizes the program to offer Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) the opportunity to apply for grants that provide sustainable renovations to their campuses.

This year, the total winnings for the Retool Your School program have increased to $300,000 in grants for nine accredited HBCUs. The schools will be categorized in one of three clusters, based on student population. Each cluster will have three winners vying for one $50,000, one $30,000 and one $20,000 grant. The breakdown will be as follows: Cluster 1 will be based on schools with student enrollment of 4,000 or more; Cluster 2 will be based on schools with student enrollment of 3,999–1,251 students; and Cluster 3 will include schools with 1,250 students or less.

This year, for the first time, the non-winning qualified schools who submit their applications and receive a minimum of 100 votes, will receive a $1,000 Home Depot gift card. To be considered, the HBCUs must submit a complete application by February 22, 2016. Online voting will take place from February 26 to April 24, 2016 at www.retoolyourschool.com.
The winners will be announced on May 18, 2016, in Atlanta.

The Home Depot’s Retool Your School Program was established in 2010 to provide support for campus improvement projects to the nation’s HBCUs. Since the program’s inception, over one million dollars in grant money has been awarded. Last year, the Retool Your School Program was recognized in Washington, DC, by the White House Initiative on HBCUs during the National Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week. The Home Depot’s Melissa Brown, Senior Marketing Manager, was featured as a guest panelist during the week where other attendees included Vice President Joe Biden and former Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “Retool Your School is a valuable program,” said Dr. Ivory Toldson, Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. “I know of no other program that focuses on sustaining our colleges by maintaining the physical space. This program provides very important funding that beautifies and enhances the physical needs of our HBCUs.”

“Excitement builds each year for The Home Depot Retool Your School program,” says Melissa Brown. “Each year, we continue to find ways to make it exciting for HBCUs to participate. Last year, we launched a new grant structure that allowed more HBCUs to participate and to feel comfortable competing among their fellow HBCUs within their student population range. This year, not only have we increased the total amount to $300,000, The Home Depot is offering a $1,000 participation award for qualifying entries.”

During the online voting period, HBCU supporters can cast one vote per day for their favorite HBCU project. Following the online vote, a panel of distinguished judges will also evaluate each school’s project proposals within the qualifying brackets. Judges will consider the depth of each proposal and the school’s ability to execute the project within the specified budgets. Proposals for all three grants must highlight how each project will make a lasting, positive impact on the HBCU campus.

For more information on The Home Depot Retool Your School Grant Program, visit www.retoolyourschool.com.
Online voting will begin February 26, 2016.

About The Home Depot®
The Home Depot is the world’s largest home improvement specialty retailer, with 2,274 retail stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico. In fiscal 2014, The Home Depot had sales of $83.2 billion and earnings of $6.3 billion. The company employs more than 370,000 associates. The Home Depot’s stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: HD) and is included in the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Standard & Poor’s 500 Index.

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(BPRW) Wells Fargo, UNCF, Terrence ‘J’ Jenkins and Natasha Eubanks Team Up to Empower HBCU Students

Company hosts My Life, My Story, #MyUntold Town Hall event for more than 300 Atlanta University Center Consortium (AUCC) students to promote the #MyUntold social media campaignas a platform to affirm positive cultural perceptions.

(Black PR Wire) CHARLOTTE, – Today, Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) and UNCF (United Negro College Fund) rallied students from three of the nation’s leading Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) —Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College and Spelman College — for an interactive town hall event to promote positive images of African American youth. HBCU alumni, Terrence ‘J’ Jenkins, actor and philanthropist, and Natasha Eubanks, founder and CEO of TheYBF.com, joined Wells Fargo and UNCF leaders to inspire students to use social media to share personal experiences that proactively address cultural mischaracterizations.

Seeking to broaden the current social narrative involving the African American community, Wells Fargo launched the #MyUntoldSM campaign to offer a more comprehensive perspective on the African American experience. The social media campaign honors the community tradition of storytelling by creating a platform to share personal stories, history and defining moments– while fostering cultural awareness outside of the community. The official #MyUntold website (wellsfargo.com/MyUntold)
aggregates user-generated and company-produced content (photos, videos and written posts) to offer visitors deeper insight into African American culture.

Today’s My Life, My Story, #MyUntold Town Hall event engaged HBCU students by empowering them to lead and take personal accountability for enlightening others on the full cultural identity of African American youth. Students were invited to contribute their stories at an onsite photo/video booth, and during “man on the street” interviews captured across campus. To further encourage community engagement, the Haitian Club of Spelman College and the Minority Association for Pre-Medical Students of Clark Atlanta University were presented with a $1,000 check to develop programs to support local community organizations.

“Wells Fargo’s #MyUntold campaign is valuable because it provides an important vantage point of the community that extends one-dimensional storytelling,” says Jenkins. “It’s my hope that coming out of this event students will be inspired to become the official storytellers of their community.”

To date, the social media storytelling campaign has generated hundreds of personal stories from across the country. It has become a catalyst for self-expression that showcases diverse experiences among a common culture.

“Wells Fargo is happy to introduce #MyUntold to millennials in this way. We’ve taken the campaign across the country, and people literallywait in line to share their stories. As a company, we appreciate the opportunity to connect directly with the communities we serve in such a personal way,” says Lisa Frison, vice president, African American Segment manager, Wells Fargo.“HBCU students in particular have the power to become the opinion formers of a generation, and #MyUntold is one way they can use their voice to lead.”

Following the event, students were joined by community members for a #MyUntold themed Instameet. Participants traveled to various campus landmarks to capture photo and video content (to share on Instagram®) that reflects their HBCU experiences.

“Since #MyUntold
launched, UNCF has been a strong supporter of the campaign,” says Richard Shropshire, Vice President of Communications and Marketing, UNCF. “This platform aligns with our ongoing relationship with Wells Fargo that includes longstanding support of the UNCF Empower Me Tour and UNCF Evening of Stars, engagement platforms which empower the African American community to aspire to higher education.”

“Wells Fargo is happy to introduce #MyUntold to millennials in this way. We’ve taken the campaign across the country, and people literallywait in line to share their stories. As a company, we appreciate the opportunity to connect directly with the communities we serve in such a personal way,” says Lisa Frison, vice president, African American Segment manager, Wells Fargo.“HBCU students in particular have the power to become theopinion formers of a generation, and #MyUntold is one way they can use their voice to lead.”

Following the event, students were joined by community members for a#MyUntoldthemed Instameet.
Participants traveled to various campus landmarks to capture photo and video content(to share on Instagram®) that reflects their HBCU experiences.

“Since #MyUntold launched, UNCF has been a strong supporter of the campaign,” says Richard Shropshire, Vice President of Communications and Marketing, UNCF. “This platform aligns with our ongoing relationship with Wells Fargo that includes longstanding support of the UNCF Empower Me Tour and UNCF Evening of Stars, engagement platforms which empower the African American community to aspire to higher education.”

Wells Fargo continues to promote the campaign through efforts with Oprah.Com and Interactive One, creating custom content, including stories from actor and HBCU alumni, Lance Gross,
and Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter,Elle Varner.
Renowned pastor, author and motivational speaker, Bishop T.D. Jakes
recently shared his story about how his father’s sacrifice inspired him to strive for success while reaching back to help others. The company continues to encourage the community to share their own stories using #MyUntold.

About Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a nationwide, diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.8 trillion in assets. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial finance through 8,700 locations, 12,800 ATMs, the internet (wellsfargo.com)
and mobile banking, and has offices in 36 countries to support customers who conduct business in the global economy. With approximately 265,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 30 on Fortune’s 2015 rankings of America’s largest corporations. Wells Fargo’s vision is to satisfy our customers’ financial needs and help them succeed financially. Wells Fargo perspectives are also available at Wells Fargo Blogs
and Wells Fargo Stories.

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Collegiate Life, Radio One and North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company Sponsor HBCUdonate.com

Durham, NC (Date, 2015) -- Collegiate Life, Radio One and North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company have joined together to raise funds for Historically Black Colleges and Universities. They have launched a virtual fundraiser at www.hbcudonate.com. The fundraiser culminates with the National Baptist Student Union Retreat held in Atlanta March 26-28 at the Crowne Plaza Atlanta Perimeter at Ravinia. During the retreat students from across the country will present dance, music and step arrangements as well as participate in workshops. The Retreat will also include a concert featuring TyeTribbett on March 26.

Collegiate Life is led by Dr. Percy Chase. He has worked with the on-campus ministries of Historically Black Colleges and Universities for almost thirty years.According to Dr. Chase, “We are looking forward to a long-term relationship with these and other sponsors so we can continue to provide funds for students at HBCUs. Attending an HBCU represents a chance for students, often from families with limited resources,receive an education at some of the most prestigious universities in the country.”

Radio One Sales Director, T.J. Dula also expressed her excitement about this opportunity to encourage alumni and supporters of HBCUs to get involved with a grassroots campaign. “We here at Radio One have a long standing commitment to students who attend HBCUs. For more than 20 years we have supported higher education and specifically HBCUs with our on-air talent and special events. This virtual fundraiser is a unique way for those who join us in supporting these students to give back.”

North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company President and CEO James Speed echoes the sentiments of Dr. Chase and Ms. Dula. “There is no greater investment we can make than in our future. Students who attend HBCUs are charting a course for success in their educational pursuits and we are shining a spotlight on the historic significance and importance of the music presented by these choirs. Our partnership with Collegiate Life and Radio One allows us to extend our support to even more schools.”

To donate, visit www.hbcudonate.com
.For information about the concert March 26 or to register for the entire retreat, contact Dr. Percy Chase at 919-667-5554.

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(BPRW) Thurgood Marshall College Fund Announces New Alliance with University of Phoenix to Give HBCU Students Access to Online Learning

(BLACK PR WIRE) – PHOENIX & WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) and University of Phoenix today announced an important new alliance that will allow students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) to supplement their courseloads on-campus with access to certain course requirements online using the University of Phoenix online platform. University of Phoenix, one of the largest institutions of higher education in the U.S., has agreed to offer its online platform to HBCU students. As part of this alliance, University of Phoenix will support TMCF by making possible scholarships for students attending HBCUs.

“Using technology to improve educational outcomes is a must today; and we are excited about the opportunity to partner with University of Phoenix on this innovative solution to help HBCUs offer online courses,” said TMCF President & CEO Johnny C. Taylor, Jr. “HBCUs look to TMCF for new opportunities and solutions like this to assist them with building their capacity as they continue to serve the students matriculating on their campuses. This opportunity will give HBCUs access to online learning not previously available.”

Individual HBCU institutions that participate in the new alliance will be able to help students satisfy course requirements by completing online offerings at University of Phoenix as part of their semester-based tuition and fees. Students will incur no additional costs under the alliance and can now avoid graduation delays when certain course requirements are hard to access. Students can also remain on track toward on-time completion with courses available through the University of Phoenix online platform.

“We’re proud to offer more scholarships and grants for nontraditional students as part of this new alliance, and we are thrilled to join the Thurgood Marshall College Fund in helping more HBCU students reach graduation,” said Timothy P. Slottow, President of University of Phoenix. “We are eager to help HBCU institutions expand their online education capabilities. It is an honor to help fulfill our mission by partnering with our nation’s vitally important Historically Black Colleges and Universities.”

HBCU institutions will also be able to introduce existing faculty to University of Phoenix online instruction methods and share insights into how technology can create effective modes and means of expanding access to learning resources and collaboration.

“Our work together will help students stay on track toward graduation and advance toward their professional goals – but it also helps HBCU institutions expand into online learning in ways that will strengthen their capabilities for the future,” said Byron Jones, Chief Financial Officer of University of Phoenix. “Our work together with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund will provide more accessible and affordable online courses to more HBCU students. Schools will be able to offer more courses to more students through this alliance.”

All HBCU students enrolled in the online courses offered under this new framework will also have access to the educational tools and resources provided to every current University of Phoenix student, including its online library, academic labs and workshops, 24/7 live math tutoring and other services in the University’s online math and writing centers.

ABOUT THE THURGOOD MARSHALL COLLEGE FUND (TMCF)
TMCF is named for the U.S. Supreme Court’s first African-American Justice. Established in 1987, TMCF supports and represents nearly 300,000 students attending its 47 member-schools that include publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), medical schools and law schools. Through its scholarships and programs, TMCF plays a key role in preparing the leaders of tomorrow. Visit TMCF at www.thurgoodmarshallcollegefund.org.

ABOUT UNIVERSITY OF PHOENIX
University of Phoenix is constantly innovating to help working adults move efficiently from education to careers in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant and engaging courses, and interactive learning can help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. As a subsidiary of Apollo Education Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: APOL), University of Phoenix serves a diverse student population, offering associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs from campuses and learning centers across the U.S. as well as online throughout the world. For more information, visit www.phoenix.edu.

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Twelve outstanding students from Alabama A&M University (AAMU) have been selected for the flagship Laser Sharp Project. The student film crew is the first ever HBCU to be invited by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade, to produce a real-time film documentary about the pageantry of the 2015 Tournament of Roses Parade and Rose Bowl called Huntsville 2 Hollywood: Searching For the Secrets to Success.

Spearheaded by Leon Burnette, founder of the Media Arts Institute of Alabama, MAIA has formed strategic partnerships with a network of organizations, industrial partners, and digital media technology companies across the United States that will engage minority students in a variety of live entertainment and digital media production activities that utilize photonics applications, optics technology, and engineering.

Burnette says they need financial support to reach their goal of $50,000 by November 15, 2014, to help pay expenses for these film students from Alabama A&M University, and five adult chaperones who will accompany them. They also seek long-term corporate sponsorships to help make these types of hands-on, interactive projects ongoing.

“Having the opportunity to work in Hollywood on a real film project is a dream for most of these kids, and I am delighted to coordinate such a life-altering experience and possibly career-changing opportunity for these twelve special kids and many more in the future,” Burnette says.

“These are exceptional students who are raising much of the money themselves, but in order to keep the Initiative alive, we need a higher level of long-term funding.”

They will visit Hollywood TV studios, tour digital media technology companies and interact with accomplished music and film executives and producers who will give them career advice and tips for success.

For more information about the Huntsville 2 Hollywood project, to donate to MAIA’s Laser Sharp Workforce Initiative, contact Leon Burnette at (256) 525-1203 or visit www.Huntsville2Hollywood.com.

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(BPRW) Thurgood Marshall College Fund Sponsors Florida HBCU Event

(BLACK PR WIRE) – Orlando, FL, October 8th, 2014 – In an effort to further its mission of supporting Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) has agreed to sponsor the historic State of the Florida Black Colleges and Universities summit. TMCF is a nonprofit organization that helps nearly 300,000 students attending its 47 member-schools that include publicly-supported HBCUs, medical schools, and law schools.

The summit is a public forum that brings together the presidents of Florida’s four HBCUs to discuss strategies for improving retention and graduation. This inaugural conversation will be held at the Rosen Centre in Orlando on Sunday, November 23rd at 10:30 a.m., during the weekend of the Florida Blue Florida Classic 2014.

Since its inception, TMCF has raised over $200 million for programmatic support, capacity building support, and scholarships for its member-schools and the students matriculating on those campuses. A partnership with the Florida HBCU summit gives TMCF an opportunity to better serve the HBCU community and advance efforts that improve educational outcomes.

For more information on the summit, contact Alexia Robinson at 407-513-2758.

Now is the time to unify and take school pride to the next level.

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(BPRW) ASPiRE ADVANCES ITS EDUCATION OUTREACH THROUGH A NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH THE WHITE HOUSE INITIATIVE ON HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

- Network Aligns with the Billion Dollar Roundtable to Sponsor the Inaugural Class of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities’ HBCU All-Star Students during the 2014 National HBCU Week Conference in Washington, DC • ASPiRE Will Produce ‘I ASPiRE’ Profiles Highlighting HBCU All-Star Students and “ASPiRE to Change the Game” Vignettes

(BLACK PR WIRE) – ATLANTA – September 19, 2014 – ASPiRE, the television network that celebrates the groundbreaking achievements of African-Americans, announced today a partnership with the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (WHIHBCUs) to increase awareness of the value and the legacy of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), to expose college students to entrepreneurs and professionals in corporate and private businesses and, to guarantee the future success of African-American students, our communities and our nation. The strategic collaboration is a part of ASPiRE’s initiative to promote excellence in education among African-American students at HBCUs and to provide those students with professional development and support.

“ASPiRE is extremely proud to expand its commitment to improve educational opportunities for African- American youth at HBCUs by partnering with the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities,” said Paul Butler, general manager, ASPiRE. “We are honored to further strengthen our focus on education by joining with the Billion Dollar Roundtable to advance education and opportunities for HBCU students. We recognize that HBCUs are an important part of our culture and safeguarding their legacy, along with enhancing educational, professional and entrepreneurial opportunities for the next generation of leaders, is critical to our nation’s future.”

Sharon Patterson, CEO and president of the Billion Dollar Roundtable said, “The opportunity to form a strategic collaboration with ASPiRE and the WHIBCUs provides a valuable chance for the Billion Dollar Roundtable to support the future success of the WHIHBCUs and HBCU students by exposing them to entrepreneurship and fostering business and research opportunities. HBCUs are a national treasure and their students are our future. This alliance will make a significant impact on tomorrow’s leaders and entrepreneurs, help HBCUs thrive and ultimately promote business and economic success in our country."

"We are excited to partner with ASPiRE to bring a national audience to the extraordinary talent that is being cultivated at HBCUs," said Ivory A. Toldson, deputy director, WHIHBCUs. “Our partnership with ASPiRE serves as a model for how government and business leaders can collaborate to uplift college students through unique mentioning and networking opportunities, and pave the way for the next generation of leaders."

ASPiRE will host a Fireside Chat entitled, "Making College Matter,” for the HBCU All-Stars during the HBCU Week Conference as well, where students will engage in an intimate dialogue about the value of higher education and how to position themselves as the next generation of leaders. Participants in the Fireside Chat include: Jamal Simmons, political analyst, CNN, Co-Founder of FLYCLIQUE and interviewer of ASPiRE’s “The Root 100” series; Erin Jackson, comedienne and co-host of ASPiRE’s "exhale;" and Valeisha Butterfield, co-founder & chair, Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network and author of The GirlPrint. Lee Hawkins, news editor and celebrity reporter with The Wall Street Journal, will moderate the discussion.

The 2014 WHIHBCUs’ National HBCU Week Conference scheduled for September 22-23 at the Washington Marriot Wardman Park in Washington, DC, with the theme, "HBCUs: Innovators For Future Success,” will focus on innovative and transformative educational approaches to ensure that access to the American dream is attainable for all.

Beyond the HBCU Week Conference, ASPiRE will continue to support the WHIHBCUs on-air, online and on-the-go via social media by producing and broadcasting a series of custom vignettes showcasing the conference and allowing viewers to experience the historical and educational event under the umbrella of ASPiRE’s pro-social campaign, “ASPiRE to Change the Game;” and, two signature "I ASPiRE” profiles featuring students from the inaugural WHIHBCUs All-Stars class. These profiles will introduce the students as the next generation of groundbreakers and game changers while featuring their personal stories of achievements and aspiration.

The 2014 WHIHBCUs All-Stars consists of 75 undergraduate, graduate and professional students recognized for their accomplishments in academics, leadership and civic engagement. The HBCU All- Stars were selected from 445 students from 62 of our nation’s HBCUs.

About ASPiRE
ASPiRE is a television network that celebrates the groundbreaking achievements of African-Americans. ASPiRE offers a diverse programming mix of movies, series and specials featuring music, comedy, drama, faith/inspiration, theater/performing arts, lifestyle and news/information. The network was launched June 27, 2012 by Magic Johnson Enterprises, which acts as a catalyst for driving unparalleled business results for its partners and fosters community/economic empowerment by making available high-quality entertainment, products and services that answer the demands of ethnically diverse urban communities. ASPiRE is available in about 21 million homes in 21 of the top 25 African-American markets including New York City, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.aspire.tv,facebook.com/aspireTV and on Twitter @tvASPiRE.

About Magic Johnson Enterprises
Magic Johnson Enterprises acts as a catalyst for driving unparalleled business results for its partners and fosters community/economic empowerment by making available high-quality entertainment, products and services that answer the demands of ethnically diverse urban communities. For more information, visit http://magicjohnson.com/enterprises.

About the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities
In 1980, President Jimmy Carter established a federal program “…to overcome the effects of discriminatory treatment and to strengthen and expand the capacity of historically black colleges and universities to provide quality education.” In 1981, President Reagan established the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, which expanded the previous program and set into motion a government-wide effort to strengthen our nation’s HBCUs.

About The Billion Dollar Roundtable
The Billion Dollar Roundtable was created in 2001 to recognize and celebrate corporations that achieved spending of at least $1 billion with minority and woman-owned suppliers. The BDR promotes and shares best practices in supply chain diversity excellence through the production of white papers. In discussions, the members review common issues, opportunities and strategies. The BDR encourages corporate entities to continue growing their supplier diversity programs by increasing commitment and spending levels each year. The BDR inducts new members bi-annually.

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(BLACK PR WIRE) – Florida’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) are ready to start the year. Collectively providing the holistic educational needs of approximately 16,000 students, these institutions serve as beacons of access. Though miles separate these universities across the state of Florida, key administrative personnel will share a platform this November to have a critical discussion about accountability.

Traditionally, the month of November is most closely associated with the Florida Blue Florida Classic, an event that bolsters the largest rivalry between fans of FAMU and Bethune Cookman. But on November 23, 2014, the spotlight will be shared as a vital conversation is had amongst the institutional leaders of all Florida HBCUs, including Florida Memorialin South Florida and EWC in Jacksonville. This discussion will specifically focus on retention and graduation and will be accompanied by a special twist. Given this anticipation, it is imperative that key players in the HBCU realm are present and accounted for.

“State of the Florida HBCU: Pathway to Preeminence to Retention and Graduation allows colleges and community partners to unite in order to discuss ways to advance minority student success together,” says Amanda Wilkerson, a doctoral student and HBCU alumnus who is one of the three organizers of the event.

The State of the Florida HBCU is an inaugural event. Given this, the Florida HBCU higher education leaders have been mobilized to talk about the promise of accountability with partners in the community. Using this momentum to catapult the already bustling conversation about accountability in the realm of HBCUs, November’s event will take this conversation to the next level. It is important to understand that this promising dialogue between leaders such as Dr. Elmira Mangum (FAMU), Dr. Edison Jackson (Bethune Cookman), Dr. Roslyn Artis (Florida Memorial), and President Nat Glover (Edward Waters College) and the community will aid in establishing how all parties can move together to support advancing efforts for minority student retention.

Sharing her testament of the critical nature of this event, Wilkerson states “In a real way I am also an example of the spirit of this conversation because had it not been for the FAMU faculty, my family and my church who were all my anchor and who balanced me, my collegiate experience could have turned out to be quite different.” This personal account demonstrates the essential nature of this event.

Alumni and supporters of Bethune Cookman, Edward Waters, FAMU, and Florida Memorial have an invaluable opportunity to hear from key administrators. This bold conversation is aimed to illuminate all those who do the heavy lifting of mentoring minority college students so that they can find value in supporting these institutions’ continuing excellence in both access and now accountability.

“The State of the Florida HBCU: Pathway to Preeminence to Retention and Graduation” is free to the public and will take place on November 23rd at 10:30 a.m. in Orlando, Florida at the Rosen Centre. The urgency of this topic is ever present, so let us come forth as a community and support a discussion that needs to happen. For more information about this event, please contact Ms. Alexia Robinson.

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HBCU Campus Queen

Now is the time for your audience to support his or her favorite HBCU! Voting has begun and everyone has the opportunity to vote for their favorite HBCU Campus Queen. The Top 10 vote getters on the website will receive an all-expense paid trip to a luxury hotel. The royal treatment continues as each of the 10 Queens receive a makeover with professional hair, makeup and wardrobe styling for an exclusive photo shoot that will appear in the September issue of EBONY magazine.

EBONY magazine is proud to continue the tradition of celebrating the accomplishments of African-American college students with the launch of its annual HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) EBONY Campus Queens feature.

For nearly four decades, EBONY has celebrated the next generation of rising Black professional women in the magazine. The HBCU Campus Queens is one of EBONY’s longest-running editorial franchises, and the young women highlighted are poised to affect great social change within their communities.

Voters can select their favorite Queen on EBONY.com now through May 20th; however, the Queens will not be the only winners in this campaign. Each voter can enter a sweepstakes to win a free iPad Air each time he or she submits a vote. A total of four sweepstakes winners will be selected, with one winner announced every Tuesday, beginning April 22. Voters are welcome to vote as many times as they like throughout the online competition.

About EBONY:
EBONY is the No. 1 source for an authoritative perspective on the African-American community. The monthly magazine, now in its 68th year, reaches nearly 11 million readers. EBONY features the best thinkers, trendsetters, hottest celebrities and next-generation leaders of African-Americans. EBONY ignites conversation, promotes empowerment and celebrates aspiration. Available nationwide on newsstands and the iPad, EBONY is the heart, the soul and the pulse of African-Americans.

EBONY: It’s more than a magazine, it’s a movement.

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(BLACK PR WIRE) – MIAMI, FLORIDA – Florida Memorial University, Lumen Learning, Oakwood University and Wiley College have announced their collaboration in support of The Center for Excellence in Distance Learning at Wiley College, with the goal of improving online education at HBCUs through the effective use of open educational resources. The Universities are forging a new path by tapping into the wealth of high quality open education resources (OER) available today. The Center for Excellence in Distance Learning is working with OER services provider Lumen Learning to tailor online courses to the unique needs of HBCUs and the students they serve.

“Distance learning is a great way to encourage collaboration and innovation in online learning within the HBCU community,” said Dr. Roslyn Artis, president of Florida Memorial University. “Florida Memorial is excited to be partners in this initiative. It will enhance the online courses that we will begin offering on June 23rd.”

When Wiley College embarked on plans to build out its distance learning programs, faculty members found a growing body of free, high quality OER that aligned with many of the high-demand courses the College planned to offer. Seeking faculty professional development on how to use OER effectively, Wiley College joined the Kaleidoscope Project funded by Next Generation Learning Challenges (NGLC) and began collaborating with Lumen Learning and other colleges to design and improve OER-based courses.

According to Kim Thanos, CEO of Lumen Learning, OER offer several advantages over commercial textbooks for addressing challenges faced by many HBCU students. “Cost has an impact: OER are free, so no expensive commercial textbooks are required. Perhaps more importantly, OER provide faculty with the freedom to design a course that works for their students. With OER, they can excerpt, modify and rearrange course materials to align with learning objectives. They can also add elements that encourage student success, such as study aids, embedded assignments, culturally-relevant examples, and materials that fit different reading levels or learning preferences.”

Success with the Kaleidoscope Project collaboration in 2013 soon led to the creation of The Center for Excellence in Distance Learning at Wiley College. With most HBCUs relying on lean staffing and leaner budgets, distance learning programs have been largely out of reach. Leaders from Wiley College, Oakwood University and other HBCUs hope to change this picture.

“As we introduced the new OER-based online courses for Wiley College students, we saw huge potential for broader collaboration with other HBCUs,” said Dr. Glenda F. Carter, Executive Vice President and Provost at Wiley College. “We all face similar challenges with online education. Through The Center for Excellence in Distance Learning, we can share courses, materials, progress and innovation. With a pooled investment, we can get further and faster toward the outcomes we all want to see.”

HBCUs Florida Memorial University and Oakwood University have joined The Center for Excellence in Distance Learning at Wiley College. Faculty members from these and other Lumen Learning client institutions are working together to develop new OER-based courses. They plan to offer 30 new courses in summer 2014, adding to 12 already being taught across a range of high-enrollment subjects. Wiley College is in discussion with other HBCUs interested in joining the Center.

In addition to cross-institution collaboration in support of distance learning, the vision for the Center is ultimately to develop a vast catalog of online courses, programs and supplemental resources that historically black colleges and universities can use to build distance education programs more efficiently and effectively. With this collection grounded in open educational resources, each institution and instructor has greater freedom to adapt the courses and materials to their programs, preferences and students’ needs.

Through the Center, Lumen Learning provides faculty training and ongoing support to help instructors teach effective courses using OER. This support assists with instructional design, maintaining current and high quality learning content, alignment with learning outcomes, proper licensing and attribution, and ongoing improvements to courses and materials based on student success data.

“In the end, this is all about encouraging student success,” said Dr. Kim Long, Director of The Center for Excellence in Distance Learning at Wiley College. “Many of our students lack the technology and information literacy they need to succeed in both online courses and the workplace. Using OER, we are designing online courses and programs to help them develop and apply these skills as an integral part of the education we provide.”

About Florida Memorial University
Located in the City of Miami Gardens, Florida Memorial University is a private, historically Black institution offering 41 undergraduate degree programs and four graduate degree programs to a culturally diverse student body. Since its inception in 1879, the University has upheld a commitment to providing a solid foundation for thousands of young people and opening doors to educational opportunities that may have otherwise been closed to them. As South Florida’s only Historically Black College or University (HBCU), it is widely recognized for being the birthplace of the Negro National Anthem, “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing” and the home of Barrington Irving, Jr., the first and youngest pilot of African descent to fly solo around the world. Florida Memorial University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). For more information, visit www.fmuniv.edu.

About Lumen Learning
Lumen Learning provides sustained support for higher education and K-12 institutions to help them eliminate textbook costs, broaden access to educational materials and improve student success through the effective use of open-educational resources. Lumen’s OER Services help institutions transition high-enrollment courses to open content and provide training and support for faculty members to teach open courses and sustain the quality of these courses over time. Learn more at www.lumenlearning.com.

About Oakwood University
Oakwood University, in Huntsville, Alabama, is a historically black, Seventh-day Adventist institution of higher learning. Originally named Oakwood Industrial School, it was founded in 1896 to educate the recently-freed African-Americans of the South. The institution’s vocational and academic programs evolved over more than a century to become Oakwood University in 2008. Today it offers quality Christian education that emphasizes academic excellence, promotes harmonious development of mind, body and spirit, and prepares leaders in service for God and humanity. US News & World Report perennially ranks Oakwood among the nation’s “Best Colleges,” both in terms of the “Historically Black Colleges and Universities” (HBCUs) and “Regional Colleges/South” categories. Oakwood also ranks among the top ten HBCUs with highest graduation rates. Learn more at www.oakwood.edu.

About Wiley College
Wiley College is a four-year, privately-supported, historically black college located on the west side of Marshall, Texas. Wiley College holds distinction as one of the oldest historically black colleges west of the Mississippi River. Affiliated with the United Methodist Church and committed to the principle of educational access, the College serves traditional and non-traditional students from diverse backgrounds who have expressed a desire and potential for learning in a Christian environment. The College was established with the purpose of providing a liberal arts education with a global focus. To this end, it endeavors to maintain an intellectually stimulating environment, promoting student competencies in communication, as well as critical and analytical thinking. The College also supports spiritual, ethical, moral and leadership development. Visit us at www.wileyc.edu.

For more information about FMU’s involvement with the Center for Excellence Distance Learning Collaboration, contact Erica McKinney at 305-626-3626 or via e-mail at erica.mckinney@fmuniv.edu.

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HBCUmobile Receives Number One Ranking as Solution for Financially-Troubled Schools

WASHINGTON- November 12, 2013: According to a new national poll, HBCUmobile has received the number one ranking as a mobile solutions provider for financially-troubled schools. Ninety-six percent of respondents to the recent DataPro survey stated they were pleased with their mobile service and monthly savings. HBCUmobile has created a network of mobile end-users that helps Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) generate sustainable income. The company partnered with Solavei in June to offer mobile consumers’ unlimited voice / text / data services at $49 per month, and provide a social media-friendly way for those customers to support HBCUs, in addition to saving monthly on their mobile bills.

Many HBCUs are on the verge of closing before the end of the decade due to financial mismanagement, lack of alumni support, and declining enrollment. Solavei has committed to give back $20/month for every three people that switch through the recommendation of one of the schools listed on HBCUmobile.org.

This revenue stream can begin with either the individual (student, alumnus, etc) or the school itself, by encouraging students, alumni, staff and other affiliated groups to sign up with HBCUmobile. Both individuals and schools would ideally use social media to attract their friends, family and others to enroll for the service and, subsequently, give money to the school of their choice.

“Many students and alumni desperately want to support their schools, but their own financial constraints keep them from doing so,” said Kevin Boyette, HBCUmobile founder and Howard University alumnus. “Using Solavei’s ground-breaking model - leveraging the trillion-dollar mobile industry and combining competitive pricing with charitable giving

HBCUmobile delivers its unlimited text, talk and data service using T-Mobile’s reliable 4G/4G-LTE network. Customers can choose from a wide variety of smartphones or, depending on their current provider, keep their existing phone.

On its website, HBCUmobile customers can sign up for the service, and select any HBCU they would like to support.

The articles on this website are provided for information purposes only. BlackRefer.com does not accept any responsibility or liability for the use or misuse of the article content on this site or reliance by any person on the site's contents.

No Implied Endorsement:
BlackRefer.com does not endorse or recommend any article on this site or any product, service or information found within said articles. The views and opinions of the authors who have submitted articles to BlackRefer.com belong to them alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of BlackRefer.com.

Young, black and buried in debt: How for-profit colleges prey on African-American ambition

- Useless degrees are now too-good-to-be-true tickets to the American Dream -- targeted at those who can't afford it
-BY KAI WRIGHT

There are a few dictums that have enjoyed pride of place in black American families alongside “Honor your parents” and “Do unto others” since at least Emancipation. One of them is this: The road to freedom passes through the schoolhouse doors.

After all, it was illegal even to teach an enslaved person to read in many states; under Jim Crow, literacy tests were used for decades to deny black voters their rights. So no surprise that from Reconstruction to the first black president, the consensus has been clear. The key to “winning the future,” in one of President Obama’s favorite phrases, is to get educated. “There is no surer path to success in the middle class than a good education,” the president declared in his much-discussed speech on the roots of gun violence in black Chicago.

Rarely has that message resounded so much as now, with nearly one in seven black workers still jobless. Those who’ve found work have moved out of the manufacturing and public sectors, where good jobs were once available without a higher ed degree, and into the low-wage service sector, to which the uncredentialed are now relegated. So while it has become fashionable lately to speculate about middle-class kids abandoning elite colleges for adventures in entrepreneurship, an entirely different trend has been unfolding in black America — people are going back to school in droves.

It’s true at all levels of education. Yes, black college enrollment shot up by nearly 35 percent between 2003 and 2009, nearly twice the rate at which white enrollment increased. But we’re getting all manner of schooling as we seek either an advantage in or refuge from the collapsed job market. As I’ve reported on the twin housing and unemployment crises in black neighborhoods in recent years, I’ve heard the same refrain from struggling strivers up and down the educational ladder: “I’m getting my papers, maybe that’ll help.” GEDs, associates degrees, trade licenses, certifications, you name it, we’re getting it. Hell, I even went and got certified in selling wine; journalism’s a shrinking trade, after all.

But this headlong rush of black Americans to get schooled has also led too many down a depressingly familiar path. As with the mortgage market of the pre-crash era, those who are just entering in the higher ed game have found themselves ripe for the con man’s picking. They’ve landed, disproportionately, at for-profit schools, rather than at far less expensive public community colleges, or at public universities. And that means they’ve found themselves loaded with unimaginable debt, with little to show for it, while a small group of financial players have made a great deal of easy money. Sound familiar? Two points if you hear troublesome echoes of the subprime mortgage crisis.

Between 2004 and 2010, black enrollment in for-profit bachelor’s programs grew by a whopping 264 percent, compared to a 24 percent increase in black enrollment in public four-year programs. The two top producers of black baccalaureates in the class of 2011 were University of Phoenix and Ashford University, both for-profits.

These numbers mirror a simultaneous trend in eroding security among ambitious black Americans with shrinking access to middle-class jobs. It’s true that the country’s middle class is collapsing for everyone, but that trend is most profound among African-Americans. In 2008, as black folks flocked into higher ed, the Economic Policy Institute found that 45 percent of African-Americans born into the middle class were living at or near poverty as adults.

For too many, school has greased the downward slide. Nearly every single graduate of a for-profit school — 96 percent, according to a 2008 Department of Education survey — leaves with debt. The industry ate 25 percent of federal student aid in the 2009–2010 school year. That’s debt its students can’t pay. The loan default rate among for-profit college students is more than double that of their peers in both public and nonprofit private schools, because the degrees and certificates the students are earning are trap doors to more poverty, not springboards to prosperity.

There’s been growing, positive attention to this problem, and the Obama administration’s ongoing efforts to rein in the excesses of for-profit schools are arguably among its most progressive policy goals. But few have understood the for-profit education boom as part of the larger economic challenge black America faces today. The black jobs crisis stretches way back to the 2001 recession, from which too many black neighborhoods never recovered. Workers and families have been scrambling ever since, trying to fix themselves such that they fit inside a broken economy. And it is that very effort at self-improvement, that same American spirit of personal re-creation and against-all-odds ambition that has so often led black people into the jaws of the 21st century’s most predatory capitalists. From subprime credit cards through to subprime home loans and now on into subprime education, we’ve reached again and again for the trappings of middle-class life, only to find ourselves slipping further into debt and poverty.

Kiesha Whatley is an example. The 31-year-old mom in Queens, N.Y., has always done hair on the side to help make ends meet, so in 2006 she decided to go for her cosmetology certificate. She was in the city’s welfare-to-work program, but was able to fill her work requirement by going to school. She figured what she needed most was to get a credential — to get legit. So she enrolled at a small, mom-and-pop for-profit in Brooklyn that her cousin had attended years before, but which had since changed ownership. Over what Whatley says was a seven-month program, she racked up more than $7,500 in debt, much of which she thought was actually a grant. She has still not passed the state cosmetology exam and she’s back to doing hair on her own, now with debt she can’t dream of paying back.

The subprime mortgage crisis was fueled by a similar mix of economic desperation, financial illiteracy and aspirational ideology. For a generation, working-class people who hoped to achieve more permanent economic stability were told, loudly and repeatedly, that buying a home would validate them as legitimate participants in American life, not just as people with an asset, but as true neighbors and community members and citizens. Prosperity preachers and presidents alike sung the praises of the “ownership society,” as George W. Bush so often called it, in which “more Americans than ever will be able to open up their door where they live and say, welcome to my house, welcome to my piece of property.” Homeownership was understood then — just as higher education is now — as good no matter what. Just don’t read the fine print.

All it took was one devastating downturn for those doors to slam shut, forcing millions of Americans into foreclosure. That still unfolding crisis has been particularly devastating for African-Americans, who have lost more than half of their collective assets after being targeted with subprime mortgage products. The black-white wealth gap is larger today than it’s been since economists began recording it in 1984. And according to a recent analysis from the Alliance for a Just Society, ZIP codes with majority people of color populations saw 60 percent more foreclosures than white neighborhoods and these homeowners lost 69 percent more wealth.

Now, to make matters worse, expensive, nearly useless degrees may be to the bust years what expensive, totally useless refinance loans were to the boom: too-good-to-be-true golden tickets to the American Dream, sold in an unregulated market and targeted at the people for whom that dream is most elusive.

Last year, Garvin Gittens became a literal poster child for why that market is so dangerous. For several months, his face was plastered all over the New York City subway system as part of a city-led campaign to warn would-be students about debt scams. When we met last summer, Gittens laid out for me how he racked up more than $57,000 in public and private debt in pursuit of a two-year associate’s degree in graphic design at the for-profit Katharine Gibbs School, in Midtown Manhattan. Like subprime mortgages, the debt didn’t appear so intimidating at first, but just as balloon payments capsized so many tenuous family finances, a cascading series of loans, a few thousand dollars at a time, eventually caught up with Gittens. In the end, his degree proved as meaningless as it was expensive. When he went to apply for bachelor’s programs, no legitimate college would recognize his credits because the school’s shoddy performance had finally led the state to sanction it.

So Gittens has started over from scratch — but with tens of thousands of dollars in loans hanging over his head. As I listened to him recount his tale, just as he was about to once again begin his freshman year of college, what struck me most was how insistently the 27-year-old was holding on to his goal of getting credentialed. Even without a degree, he’d built a modestly successful graphic design business of his own. He’d landed fancy internships with hip-hop clothing designers and made smart choices like offsetting his design work with more reliable income from printing jobs. Yet a college degree remained such a coveted treasure for him that, even having wasting tens of thousands of dollars and two years of his life, he was prepared to do it all again.

“It’s more of an emotional thing,” Gittens explained, citing a graduate degree as his ultimate goal. “I’d like to say, ‘I have a master’s in design. That would make me feel good.” And the sky’s the limit when you’re buying self-worth.

Of course, the industry that’s been turning fast profit off of ambitions like Gittens’ is finally seeing tough times of its own. Take Gittens’ alma mater, the now-closed Katharine Gibbs School. It was owned by lllinois-based Career Education Corp., a publicly traded firm that still runs dozens of schools across the country and in Europe, and which is among the industry’s largest players. Career Ed booked $1.49 billion in revenue in 2012, but it faces steadily declining stock values as a series of investigations and scandals have limited its ability to pull in new students. Its “student starts” — as enrollment is called in the for-profit sector — dropped 23 percent last year. That comes after attorneys general in both New York and Florida launched probes in 2011 of the company for falsifying job placement rates. Career Ed has also had to answer to two national accrediting bodies for its job placement reporting in the past two years.

The company responded to these probes by launching its own investigation and revealing that barely a quarter of its health and design schools actually placed enough graduates in jobs to maintain accreditation. So Chairman Steve Lesnik, who also runs a company that develops golf facilities and athletic clubs, took over as CEO and overhauled the way Career Ed reports job placements, adding independent verification. He stresses Career Ed’s newfound compliance with regulators and called 2012 a “year of renewal.” “It’s a simple thought: students first,” he said last February, as he addressed investors for the first time as CEO and sought to calm nerves over the regulatory probes. “That idea permeates every action we take.”

But while the company reassures regulators and investors that its education is sound, it’s failing starkly by another blunt measure. Nearly 28 percent of students at Career Ed’s health services school in New York City, the Sanford Brown Institute, default on their loans after three years. That rate’s outstanding even among for-profits, and it is a sure sign that these degrees aren’t leading to jobs with decent salaries — if they’re leading to jobs at all.

Big for-profits like Career Ed — often run by financiers, not educators — are eager to differentiate themselves from small, independent trade schools like the one Whatley attended, where they argue the bad behavior is concentrated. But what all of the industry’s players have in common is a business model that targets desperate people who have been pushed out of the workforce in overwhelming numbers over the past decade.

You needn’t look further than these schools’ ad campaigns to discover who’s in their target demographic. They’re a model of diversity. It’s tough to find a marketing image that doesn’t picture a happy person of color or a young woman, or both. One Sanford Brown online ad features a verbal montage of emotional touchstones that seem tailor-made to speak to working-class frustrations. “Before I contacted Sanford Brown I was working second shift,” says one woman’s voice. “I needed a career for myself and my family,” says another woman. “They empowered me to be a better person,” another declares. Watching the ads reminds me of one Atlanta woman’s explanation when I asked her why she signed off on such a bad deal as the subprime refinance that put her home at risk of foreclosure. She talked about the “nice young man” who came and sold it to her. He was well-dressed and clean cut and black. He seemed successful. He seemed to remind her of her ambitions for the young black men in her own life. Then he stole from her on behalf of his bank.

In this respect, for-profit schools function less like traditional educational institutions and more like payday lenders, rent-to-own businesses, pawn shops and the like — they all offer products that churn customers through debt for years on end. And, like the rest of the subprime market, selling for-profit degrees is especially good business in the worst of times. Career Ed’s previous CEO left his post just as the New York attorney general’s probe sent the company’s stock into free fall; he departed with a reported $5.1 million parachute. According to a Senate report last July, which used data from 2009, three-quarters of students at for-profit schools attended institutions that were owned by publicly traded corporations or private equity firms. The former had an average profit margin of nearly 20 percent — and their CEOs made an average of $7.3 million.

Regulators at both the federal and state level have begun working furiously to rein all of this in. Among other things, the Obama administration has tightened rules for schools to participate in the federal student aid program upon which for-profits depend. Last year, the Department of Education instituted a rule that disqualifies any school at which 30 percent of students or more have defaulted on their loans within three years of graduation. The first sanctions under the new rule won’t come until next fall, but according to the department’s tally, for-profits accounted for nearly three-quarters of the schools that would have been forced out in 2012.

There is significant evidence that schools were gaming the feds’ previous system for monitoring default rates. The Senate report from last July revealed aggressive machinations to push struggling graduates into forbearance — a costly way to escape delinquency — just long enough to push their defaults beyond the oversight window. At Career Ed, for instance, employees called students with delinquent loans an average 46 times to nudge them to file for forbearance, regardless of whether that was in the students’ best interest financially.

Gittens, Whatley and thousands of other unemployed or underemployed African-American strivers have been told again and again — by elected officials, by community leaders, by their own optimistic families — that they hold their economic destiny in their own hands. That they must pick up new skills, get more training, earn more credentials, adapt or die. One day the jobs will come, we’re told, and we’d all better be ready to fill them. They’re earnestly heeding that message, but the only thing an awful lot of them are earning is another lesson in just how expensive it is to be both poor and ambitious in America.

Kai Wright is a reporting fellow with The Investigative Fund at The Nation Institute.

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(BLACK PR WIRE) – TORRANCE, Calif. (April 23, 2013) – Toyota Green Initiative (TGI), an environmental stewardship platform designed to empower the African American community to adopt a sustainable lifestyle, is pleased to announce that student Corban Bell of Grambling State University in Grambling, La., is the grand prize winner of TGI’s third annual Green Campus Contest. With nearly 1,300 votes on www.ToyotaGreen.com, Bell’s plan and establishment of a permanent, campus-wide recycling program at his school earned him a 2012 Toyota Prius and $5,000 toward the purchase of trees for his Grambling State University campus. He also receives membership to the TGI Coalition, a collective of environmental experts and celebrities who speak on sustainability within the African American community and relevant ways to go green.

First prize winner and runner-up Domenio Smith of Howard University in Washington, D.C., will also receive $2,500 toward the purchase of trees for his school. The trees for both Howard University and Gambling State University will be planted during the fall 2013 TGI Mobile Tour.

“We received so many phenomenal Green Campus Contest submissions from students concerned about the environment,” said Jim Colon, vice president of product communications for Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. and TGI Coalition member. “In the end, Corban Bell’s plan to establish a recycling program and lead additional initiatives, such as hosting a sustainability awareness week and expanding Grambling’s compost program, impressed the TGI program as well as voters.”

“I’m so excited to be selected as this year’s Green Campus Contest winner,” said Bell. “TGI is a great environmental resource for the African American community, and I’m honored to represent the program in my efforts to improve the green culture at Grambling.”

The TGI Green Campus Contest is an environmental competition where students at select Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) can submit plans on conserving resources within their campus and/or community. After an initial selection round, each of the 10 semifinalists is provided with a $500 budget to help implement his or her respective campus program. The results of their efforts are reviewed by the TGI Coalition and the two finalists’ essays are posted on ToyotaGreen.com where visitors can vote for their favorites. Past Green Campus Contest winners include Tamika Smith of Jackson State University in Jackson, Miss., in 2011 and Stephen Graddick IV of Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, N.C., in 2010.

To learn more about the Toyota Green Initiative and the Green Campus Contest, please visit www.ToyotaGreen.com.

About Toyota
Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. is the marketing, sales, distribution and customer service arm of Toyota, Lexus and Scion. Established in 1957, TMS markets products and services through a network of nearly 1,500 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealers which sold more than two million vehicles in 2012. Toyota directly employs nearly 30,000 people in the U.S. and its investment here is currently valued at more than $18 billion. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyota.com or www.toyotanewsroom.com.

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(BLACK PR WIRE) – Torrance, CA. April 8, 2013 – After two days of intense competition among 250 students representing 48 competing teams, Morgan State University claimed its second National Championship title in a row at the 24th Annual Honda Campus All-Star Challenge (HCASC), an annual academic event featuring the best and brightest students from the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Enduring a year-long program of study and preparation, the Morgan State University team emerged victorious at the National Championship Tournament held on the Los Angeles-area campus of American Honda Motor Co., Inc., and took home $50,000 in grants for their school.

Surviving 10 games against tough competition, Morgan State University clinched the National Championship over second-place finisher Florida A&M University after answering the following question correctly:

In 1975 the Himalayan kingdom of Sikkim joined what very large neighbor to its south? Correct Answer: India

The Morgan State University team included Craig Cornish (Captain), senior, History Major; Kyle De Jan, senior, History Major; Micheal Osikomaiya, junior, English Major; and James Hayes-Barber, sophomore, Electrical Engineering Major.

The team from Morgan State University celebrates on stage after winning their second consecutive title at the 2013 Honda Campus All-Star Challenge. This year they defeated second place winner Florida A&M University in the championship round of the 2013 Honda Campus All-Star Challenge – the nation’s only academic competition among HBCUs.

The fast-paced, suspenseful competition tested the students’ abilities to quickly and accurately answer questions on a broad range of topics including world history, science, literature, religion, art, social sciences, popular culture and African-American history and culture. The top two teams from each of the eight competing divisions advanced to the "Sweet 16," a single-elimination playoff. The final two teams then battled it out for the national title in a best 2-out-of-3 finals.

While Morgan State University secured the top prize of $50,000 in university grants, all 48 schools were awarded grants. Florida A&M University won $25,000, while the remaining “Final 4” teams – Oakwood University and West Virginia State University – each received $15,000. The other top eight – Alabama State University, Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College and North Carolina A&T University – were awarded $9,500 in grants. In total, Honda provided more than $300,000 in grants to participating schools.

Since 1989, HCASC has brought together the nation’s best and brightest academic competitors from America’s top HBCUs. Throughout its history, HCASC has been the only annual academic competition between the nation’s HBCUs, touching more than 100,000 students and awarding more than $7 million dollars in grants.

Quote from Honda Executive
“The Honda Campus All-Star Challenge provides a one-of-a-kind outlet for students to flex their knowledge and intellect in an intense but friendly rivalry. Beyond the competition, the Challenge gives HBCU students an opportunity to connect with like-minded students, build friendships and establish networks that last beyond HCASC. Honda is honored to celebrate the academic excellence of HBCU students through this empowering event.”

About Honda
Honda supports a variety of initiatives aimed at advancing education and creating experiences of discovery that help aspiring students see and achieve their own dreams. The Honda Campus All-Star Challenge, along with the Honda Battle of the Bands, are two of Honda’s major initiatives supporting Historically Black Colleges and Universities and helping young people pursue their dreams.

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- HBCUs COMPETE FOR $200,000 in Grants FOR CAMpus AND FACILITY UPGRADES
-

New York– January 14, 2013 – The Home Depot announces the kick-off of its fourth annual Retool Your School Campus Improvement Grant Program. The 2013 Retool Your School Grants will total $195,000 to be awarded as one $50,000 Tier I Grant, one $25,000 Campus Pride Grant for the school that receives the most votes and social media activity, and twelve $10,000 Tier II Grants. Schools are required to submit a brief description of their projects by Feb. 11, 2013 for consideration, with full proposal details due by March 11, 2013. Online voting will take place from Feb. 18 to April 15at www.retoolyourschool.com.

The goal is to provide sustainable and lasting renovations to give new life to the campuses of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Each year, the outpour of support for the program from alumni, students, parents and the community grows. Since the program’s inception in 2010, more than three million votes have been cast as the HBCU community bands together for their favorite and most deserving HBCU school projects.

“The Home Depot is thrilled to once again offer the Retool Your School Campus Improvement Grant available to HBCU’s,” said Melissa Brown, manager of multicultural marketing, The Home Depot. “Now in its fourth year, we’ve seen incredible growth of support and popularity of the program. It is such a rewarding program connecting with our communities and it takes school spirit to a whole new level.”

The Home Depot’s goal is to connect with the community by awarding grants for projects that will have a lasting impact. Last year, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania received the Tier I Grant of $50,000, to restore the exterior and entryway of Lincoln Hall, one of the most historic buildings of the University. The first-ever Campus Pride Grant of $25,000 was awarded to Alabama A&M University. In 2011, grand prize winner Bethune Cookman University, located in Daytona Beach, FL, received $50,000 to install automated access doors and a wheelchair ramp in its Student Center to accommodate students, faculty and staff members with disabilities. Past Retool Your School proposals and projects have included recommendations for eco-friendly and sustainability upgrades.

“While this program encourages alumni, parents and community members to participate in the transformation of their favorite HBCU, it also emphasizes creating an eco-friendly environment,” said Dr. Lezli Baskerville, Retool Your School program judge and president & CEO, National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education. “This program not only provides our schools with the some of the funding needed to build and reconstruct, it prepares them to be sustainable institutions for years to come.”

During the online voting period, HBCU supporters can view descriptions of projects and cast one vote per day for their favorite HBCU project. Following the online vote, a panel of distinguished judges will also evaluate each school’s Tier I and Tier II project proposals. Judges will consider the depth of each proposal and the school’s ability to execute the project within the budget of $50,000 (Tier I) or $10,000 (Tier II), as applicable. Campus Pride Grant recipients will be awarded to the school with the most votes and social media activity, as assessed by The Home Depot. Proposals for all three grants must highlight how each project will make a lasting, positive impact on the HBCU campus. The Home Depot will announce the grant recipients on or around May 3, 2013.

The Retool Your School program is a unique competition that extends to alumni, family and friends, students and the community-at-large to vote for their favorite HBCU project.

About The Home Depot®
The Home Depot is the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer, with 2,256 retail stores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico. In fiscal 2011, The Home Depot had sales of $70.4 billion and earnings of $3.9 billion. The Company employs more than 300,000 associates. The Home Depot's stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: HD) and is included in the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor's 500 index.

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(BLACK PR WIRE) – WASHINGTON, DC (January 10, 2013) – UNCF (United Negro College Fund), the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization, announced today that Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC), a nationwide, diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.3 trillion in assets, will expand their relationship with UNCF by investing $3 million to help more African American students attend and graduate from college. Wells Fargo presented UNCF with a check in conjunction with the taping of the 34th edition of UNCF An Evening of Stars®, UNCF’s annual television special, which took place in Pasadena, Calif.

Wells Fargo will invest $1 million annually in UNCF during the next three years to help students earn college degrees and get an education before college that prepares them for college coursework and college success. The Wells Fargo investment will target UNCF initiatives that include:

* Helping to tell a national audience about the importance of college education, college readiness, and the achievements of UNCF and its students, through Wells Fargo’s sponsorship of UNCF An Evening of Stars®, a two-hour, nationally televised musical variety special that spotlights some of the biggest names in entertainment and UNCF student success stories;

* Helping middle-school, high school and college students and their families plan for college and learn about financial responsibility and management through the UNCF Empower Me Tour Presented by Wells Fargo, a free, traveling college- and career-readiness road show hosted by celebrities;

* Supporting the more than 57,000 students who attend UNCF member historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) through Wells Fargo’s sponsorship of the UNCF “A Mind Is…” Gala.

“UNCF is grateful for Wells Fargo’s investment in better futures for African American students,” said UNCF President and CEO Michael L. Lomax, Ph.D. “By investing in UNCF, Wells Fargo is making a major contribution to helping students earn college degrees and to making the case for the right of every student to a college-ready high school education.”

“At Wells Fargo we’re committed to education and economic empowerment,” said Gigi Dixon, senior vice president, director of National Partnerships for Wells Fargo. “We also believe access to high-quality, affordable education is an important way we can help our communities become economically self-sufficient. We’re proud of our relationship with UNCF and the opportunities it creates for low-income and underrepresented students to attend and graduate from college – one of the single most important things they can do for their professional and financial success.”

About UNCF
UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 900 colleges and universities across the country. UNCF supports education through scholarships and other programs, by supporting its 38 member colleges and universities, and by advocating for the importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 20 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. The UNCF logo features the torch of leadership in education and UNCF’s widely recognized motto, "A mind is a terrible thing to waste."® Learn more at www.UNCF.org.

CONTACT
Louis Barbash
UNCF
202-810-0225
louis.barbash@uncf.org

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Xavier Chosen to Participate in National Initiative,
Preparing Critical Faculty for the Future

- University chosen in a competitive process to join with 9 other HBCUs in NSF-supported initiative that will provide professional and leadership development to women of color faculty members in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics Fields.
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New Orleans (October 12, 2012) — Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA) has been chosen through a national competition sponsored by the Association of American Colleges and Universities to participate in Preparing Critical Faculty for the Future (PCFF), a project that supports women of color faculty in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines in becoming strong academic and administrative leaders, both on campus and within their respective disciplines.

The project is funded by the National Science Foundation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities-Undergraduate Program (HBCU-UP). The institutions selected over the three cohorts represent many different types – including two-year and four-year, public and private HBCUs.

Xavier chemistry professors Dr. Gloria Thomas and Dr. Florastina Payton-Stewart will participate in all phases of the project along with colleagues from the other participating institutions, including attending the AAC&U’s Institute on Integrative Learning and The Departments in July 2013.

The goals of the PCFF project are to provide professional and leadership development for women of color faculty in STEM disciplines, or in NSF natural and behavioral science disciplines; and to enhance undergraduate STEM education at HBCUs and beyond. This project provides participants with the opportunity and the financial support to engage in and influence the national dialogue on improving undergraduate STEM education. Project participants will both contribute to and gain from national efforts to develop and implement innovative STEM teaching and learning practices and effective curricular change strategies.

This initiative is supported with a grant from the National Science Foundation. For additional information about the project, see: http://www.aacu.org/pcff.

About the AAC&U
AAC&U is the leading national association concerned with the quality, vitality, and public standing of undergraduate liberal education. Its members are committed to extending the advantages of a liberal education to all students, regardless of academic specialization or intended career. Founded in 1915, AAC&U now comprises more than 1,250 member institutions—including accredited public and private colleges, community colleges, and universities of every type and size.

AAC&U functions as a catalyst and facilitator, forging links among presidents, administrators, and faculty members who are engaged in institutional and curricular planning. Its mission is to reinforce the collective commitment to liberal education at both the national and local levels and to help individual institutions keep the quality of student learning at the core of their work as they evolve to meet new economic and social challenges.

Information about AAC&U membership, programs, and publications can be found at www.aacu.org.

About Xavier
Xavier University of Louisiana is a private, co-educational institution offering a comprehensive liberal arts program and professional programs, including 38 undergraduate majors, five master’s degree programs and a doctor of pharmacy program. Xavier is the only historically Black, Catholic university in the United States and draws students from 39 states, Washington, D.C., Guam, the Virgin Islands and 7 foreign countries.

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Need for HBCU’s Part 2

“Philosophers have long conceded, however, that every man has two educators:
'that which is given to him, and the other that which he gives himself. Of the two
kinds the latter is by far the more desirable. Indeed all that is most worthy in man
he must work out and conquer for himself. It is that which constitutes our real and
best nourishment. What we are merely taught seldom nourishes the mind like that
which we teach ourselves.”

Carter G. Woodson, The Mis-education of the Negro
HBCU’s provide a chance to improve a life and look past mistakes, what sometimes
society tries to throw away, an opportunity to grow and change for the better.
Stated by Beverly Guy-Sheftall, Ph.D., “People often think of HBCU’s as places that
find services for needy students. This is just one argument made to justify HBCU’s
existence. HBCU’s do things that majority of college don’t do, that they are more
sensitive to certain things.” HBCU’s allow and encourage youth to mature and
inspire adults to elevate their cognitive growth.

Too many people especially in higher education forget their mistakes of youth, that
maybe from social challenges and even incarcerations they were given a second chance.
Higher education is the right for all citizens no matter their color, culture or creed.
HBCU’s recognize this that is why students are allowed to enroll to get their lives
back on track. Unique to HBCU’s instructors see that when a person enrolls they
already may have financial, social or family challenges; their desire to succeed is
stronger because there is a need to be in school and the rewards of education are
apparent.

Addressing the unique situations of students; Johnny Anderson a Southern University
graduate states that HBCU students, “they’re single parents, teen parents, folks working
two and three jobs to get ahead, dealing with a whole range of issues related to their
individualistic circumstances.”
Even in my class at EWC I have single parents, students working through medical
conditions and those that are working to mature into the person they need to be to move
forward in life. I have found that HBCU’s work to cultivate and provide remedial
assistance for students that truly do need help in academic areas. There are professionals
that are tops in their fields and contribute to society. If they had not received the help they
needed from an HBCU who know where they would end up.

“If you can control a man's thinking you do not have to worry about his action. When you
determine what a man shall think you do not have to concern yourself about what he will do.
If you make a man feel that he is inferior, you do not have to compel him to accept an inferior
status, for he will seek it himself. If you make a man think that he is justly an outcast, you
do not have to order him to the back door. He will go without being told; and if there is no back
door, his very nature will demand one.” Carter G. Woodson, The Mis-Education of the Negro
The growth of HBCU’s can be seen in data, in 2000 HBCU students were at 276,000, in 2009
the numbers were 323,000. Success continues to be shown in other studies, Inside Higher Education
has shown that HBCU’s enroll 18 percent of African Americans in higher education and graduate 30 percent of those who persist to graduation. They graduate 40 percent of African Americans who obtain degrees in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields, 50 percent of
those who go on to become professors and 60 percent of those who major in engineering.

The surprising effectiveness of HBCU’s is that HBCUs are as effective in graduating African-American student’s equivalent to white institutions (Inside Higher Ed 2009). HBCU’S continue to take a risk
on students, giving them a chance when non Black institutions may not consider the potential within Black, Hispanic, Latino, Mexican, Haitian and South American students. Even the President of Spelman Beverly Daniel Tatum, Ph.D. comments on the benefits of HBCU’s and the help they provide students, “what I don’t like is the continued question of why HBCU’s are still needed.” Just from the examples stated they are needed now and in the future. Students find themselves more challenged than ever before so HBCU’s provide an opportunity for higher education. Even in a recent speech about HBCU’s President Obama has claimed that HBCU’s are important to restore the U.S. to its higher ranking as a higher education power house.

HBCU graduates like Darryl “Topshelf” McClenton (FAMU 2010) are future leaders being positive
role models for others that strive for a college education and attending HBCU’s. His story is here: http://jos.jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/darryl-mcclenton
Moving into the 21st century for HBCU’s implementing advanced technology maybe a challenge,
but HBCU’S face challenges and still turn out capable and confident graduates. If not for the support
I received attending an HBCU (SCSU) I would possibly not have graduated and earned a Bachelors nor continued to strive and earn a Masters in Educational Technology.

As an instructor at Edward Waters College (Jacksonville, Florida) I find that there is a strong desire to obtain an education by the students that attend HBCU’s. The challenges that the students face are basically life itself. If Blacks are going to compete and contribute to society they must make education a priority for themselves and their children. Education does not always open the doors we think it should, change the minds and perceptions of Blacks by some in society, education empowers the spirit and the mind to press on and to overcome challenges.

Maya Angelo wrote in “Still I Rise”, “Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave”; holds true, not to let the challenges of life and the low expectations of people stop you from growing into a better person. Slaves even during the inhumanity of slavery understood the importance of education. Even with the threat of death did Blacks strive to learn to be educated and apply
their education to positive contributions to society. HBCU’s where established after slavery, based on
religious instruction, but also the desire for Black, African American, and minorities to grow into a
society that requires productivity from all.

HBCU teachers, teach from the heart and their experiences not from the microchip or for political gains or what is supposed to be politically correct. HBCU’s are important because they recognize the human element of learning and the growth and potential of their students. Malcolm X’s statement about education can still can be applied even in the 21st century,” “Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.” HBCU’s prepare future scholars that will influence the world in many career fields on national and international levels.
Our country still benefits from the education that HBCU’s provide, countries outside of the U.S. are
seeing this as well and sending their students to attend and experience the HBCU tradition of family bonding and cultural strengthening. HBCU’s still they rise through challenges, struggles and overcoming
obstacles that are no less than the travesty of slavery they were born from.

Submitted by...
Wm Jackson, M.Edu.
jacksonw@duvalschools.org

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HBCU - BLACK COLLEGES

Miscellaneous...A Dream Deferred ... The future of African American education. A Dream Deferred continues to inspire powerful thinking around key issues that affect African American students. Educators from across the country will convene to develop a unified voice to advocate for, and effect, change.

HBCU Central...We are currently striving to be a cohesive link between all Historically Black Colleges and Universities worldwide.

HBCU Network...The net working for the Historically Black colleges and Universities.

Unity Through Knowledge HBCU Tour... The “Unity Through Knowledge” HBCU Tour is an annual Easter/Spring Break experience designed to introduce high school students to the educational objectives and opportunities of historical and predominantly black universities.

California...Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science...Through innovative basic science, the University conducts education, patient care and research programs- training physicians and allied health professionals to provide care to under served populations.

Florida...Bethune-Cookman College... Bethune-Cookman College, a comprehensive college, which offers degrees in liberal arts as well as professional fields, such as business, education and nursing. A United Methodist Church-affiliated school, the college has a diverse and international student population of more than 2,500 and a solid reputation for academic excellence.

Manatee Community College ...The partners of Manatee Community College have established a welcoming enviroment for the community to study and enjoy the rich contributions to American history made by Black Americans.

Clark Atlanta Unive...Providing a quality undergraduate, graduate and professional education to a student body that is predominantly African-American and also diversified by students from various other racial, ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Fort Valley State College...Only 20 miles southwest of Macon, Fort Valley is a comprehensive institution providing an educational experience of exceptional quality.

Miles College ...Miles College, Historically Black College (HBCU), founded in 1905, private liberal arts institution, of the CME Church, proud history of producing teachers, preachers, community leaders, and politicians.

Morehouse College...Ranked twice as the number one college in the nation for educating African American students by Black Enterprise magazine, Morehouse College is the nation’s largest, private liberal arts college for African-American men.

Morehouse School of Medicine...The Morehouse School of Medicine is a historically black institution established to recruit and train minority and other students as physicians, biomedical scientists, and public healthcare professionals committed to the primary healthcare needs of the underserved.

Morris Brown College...Morris Brown is proud of its tradition of serving the educational needs of the best and the brightest young minds, while simultaneously providing educational support to students who might not otherwise receive the opportunity to compete on the college level.

Paine College...Paine College is a Historically Black, private, church-related, four-year, co-educational college. Through its residential, commuter, and off-site units, Paine College strives to develop self-sufficient and productive citizens committed to intellectual pursuits and aesthetic appreciation in a global society.

Savannah State College...For over 100 years, Savannah State University has provided a high quality inspiring education to students from throughout Georgia.

Spelman College...Private, independent, liberal arts, historically Black college for women, founded in 1881.

Illinois...Chicago State University...On campus, there are ample opportunities for students to be involved in student government, clubs, and organizations and most activities are free to the general public.

Kentucky...Kentucky State University... KSU's educational mission, though centered on degree programs that emphasize liberal studies, also places considerable importance on the University's public service commitments.

Louisiana...Dillard University...Dillard University is a private, historically black, liberal arts institution. Dillard has as its purpose the development of graduates who are broadly educated, culturally aware, concerned with improving the human condition and able to meet the competitive demands of a global and technologically advanced society.

Xavier University...Xavier University of Louisiana is Catholic and historically Black. The ultimate purpose of the University is the promotion of a more just and humane society. To this end, Xavier prepares its students to assume roles of leadership and service in society.

Coppin...Historically black college, Baltimore, MD., high quality undergraduate and graduate education with arts, sciences, preprofessional and professional areas such as teacher education, and nursing.

Morgan State University...Morgan State, Maryland's Public Urban University located in Baltimore, is a historically Black university, a prime example of higher education in a diverse culture.

Mississippi...Alcorn State University...Alcorn State University is a land-grant, liberal arts, science and teacher education public institution with programs in selected professional areas such as business and nursing.

Tougaloo College...Tougaloo College is a private, historically black, liberal arts institution, accessible to all persons regardless of race, ethnic origin, religion or creed. The College prepares students to be imaginative, self-directed, lifelong learners and mindful thinkers, committed to leadership and services in a global society by offering a high quality liberal studies program.

North Carolina...Barber-Scotia College...Concord, North Carolina - Founded as two institutions, Scotia Seminary and Barber Memorial College.

Bennett College...Bennett College - For Women - Greensboro, North Carolina.

Elizabeth City State University...Current enrollment being 2,470 students, the highest enrollment in the institution's history. Today, the faculty and student body are increasingly multicultural. There are 862 acres of land, of which 200 represent the campus proper.

Johnson C. Smith University...Ranked twice by U.S. News and World Report as one of the best comprehensive colleges in the South, Johnson C. Smith University continues to be a leader among private liberal arts colleges in the nation.

Livingstone College...Livingstone College is a coeducational, residential, church related college located in Salisbury, the county seat of Rowan County, North Carolina.

Shaw University...Shaw University is the oldest historically Black university in the South. Located in Raleigh, NC.

Winston Salem State University...Winston-Salem State University is a premier public institution that develops the skills and values students need to contribute and succeed in the changing economy of the 21st Century.

Wilberforce...Wilberforce University is a unique institution located in a state rich in America's private college tradition. Founded prior to the end of slavery in 1856, it is the nation's oldest, private African-American university.

Pennsylanvia ...Cheyney University ...Established in 1837, Cheyney University of Pennsylvania cherishes its legacy as America’s oldest historically Black institution of higher education.

Lincoln University...During the first one hundred years of its existence, Lincoln graduated approximately 20 percent of the Black physicians and more than 10 percent of the Black attorneys in the United States.

South Carolina...Allen University...Columbia, South Carolina - Founded as "Payne Institute"

Claflin College... In America's Best Colleges 2003, U.S. News & World Report ranks Claflin number 4 in the "Top Five" and a number two "Best Value" among Southern Comprehensive colleges for students working toward a bachelor's degree.

Voorhees College...Voorhees College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Tennessee...Fisk University...Founded in 1866, Fisk University is one of America’s finest institutions of higher education. While the University has a strong foundation in the liberal arts, we pride ourselves in our contribution to the nation’s ranks of great scientists and businesspersons.

Jarvis Christian College...Jarvis Christian College has been affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) since its inception. Jarvis is a residential campus that supports students during their college years.

Paul Quinn College...Paul Quinn College is an independent undergraduate, coeducational, residential institution that is affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Church.

Prairie View A&M University...Founded in 1876, Prairie View A&M University is the second oldest institution of higher education in Texas. With an established reputation for producing engineers, nurses and educators, PVAMU offers baccalaureate degrees in 39 academic majors, 31 master’s degrees and four doctoral degree programs through nine colleges and schools.

Southwestern Christian College...Southwestern Christian College, founded and sponsored by members of Churches of Christ, is accredited as a four-year (level II), educational college (limited to Bachelor's degree in Bible and Religious Education), with a two-year associate program in the liberal arts.

Texas Southern University ...Founded as the Texas State University for Negroes and given its current moniker in 1951, the University's primary mission was to establish a creditable college for African American students.

Virginia...Hampton University...Hampton University is a comprehensive institution of higher education dedicated to the promotion of learning, building of character, and preparation of promising students.

West Virginia...Bluefield State College...As an historically black, open admissions institution, Bluefield State College prepares students for challenging careers, graduate study, informed citizenship, community involvement, and public service in an ever-changing global society.